THIS SIDE OUT: SHARING THE OUTDOORS WITH FORMER STREET KIDS

April 4, 2016

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Once in their lives, the outdoors may have been awful and scary, but one weekend with C.O.R.E. Movers may have changed just that.

Sixty (60) former street children last March 12 to 13 went on a camping adventure with KaPrimers and other volunteers at the CCT Community in Magdalena, Laguna.

This Side Out, a youth summer camp, which was aimed to show the outdoors to the young boys and girls from Visions of Hope Christian School, was organized by Primer Group of Companies’ advocacy arm, Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition (C.O.R.E.), in partnership with Great Escapes, and co-facilitated by U!Happy Events. This event is sponsored by Eddie Bauer Philippines, Brushstroke Creatives, Lagalag, R.O.X. Philippines, and JanSport.

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The weekend was filled with laughter and happy smiles as kids played games with C.O.R.E. Movers, and were taught by the Great Escapes team on the different parts of a tent, and its care and maintenance. Later that afternoon, the kids and the volunteers got to pitch their own tents, where they slept in during the night.

But behind the laughter of each child lies a dark past.

According to CCT Community’s Partnership Development Officer, Rlove Rojas, the children in their care were abandoned, orphaned, neglected, or children of street-dwelling families.

“When I say ‘street-dwelling families,’ ito ‘yung mga nakikita nating mga tao sa kalye na walang permanenteng bahay,” she explained. “Ang ginagawa namin, kinukupkop namin sila dito. We provide them their basic needs: a home, food, and we also give them education.”

One of the little kids, 10-year-old Jumie (not his real name), admitted that he was anxious about spending the night outside, considering the hardships he encountered when he still lived on the streets. But during the event, he said he felt safe with his KaPrimers ates and kuyas.

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Salamat sa pagpunta niyo dito. Sana mangyari po ito ulit. Nakatulog po ako ng maayos sa tent, kahit nasa labas, wala pong nangyari sa’ming masama,” he said. “Nagkwentuhan po kami ni Jaja, tapos nung nasa taas po, masaya po ako kasi nakapag-drawing ako.”

Salamat po sa mga tumutulong sa’min na wala pong masamang nangyari sa’min kagabi,” he added.

New skills

Rojas said this was the first time that the kids were taught how to pitch a tent and went on a camping adventure.

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“It’s been very fun, I think, the kids enjoyed, especially ‘yung part where they learned about how to set up a tent, or pitch the tent, we can see that nu’ngnagpi-pitch na ng tent, sila ‘yung nangunguna,” she said.

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“I think it’s a very good skill for them to have, especially na medyo nasa teenage years na ‘yung mga kids na nandito, so it’s been very fun for everyone, even our staff,” she added.

For Great Escapes’ Business Development Officer Deng Queddeng, it was quite refreshing for C.O.R.E. to create such unique activity for the kids.

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Napakaganda talaga ng programa na si-net out ng C.O.R.E., minsan kasi ang usualna nakikita ay pack ng goods, pakain, magpa-games, magpaturo ng abc at math and science, pero tayo sa C.O.R.E., napaka-unique niya kasi mayroon talagang specificna gagawin, at iyon ang camping,” she said.

“In a way, alam ng mga tao kung ano dapat ituro, ano ang dapat i-contribute. Para sa’min sa GETTI, malaking privilege at maraming pasasalamat sa C.O.R.E. na mayroong pagkakataon na ganito, para ‘yung expertise namin, mabigay namin sa mga bata,” she added.

For U!Happy’s internal vice president, Maria Amy Gonzaga, the kids were not the only ones who learned something new at the event.

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Lahat kami dito ay first timers na nag-camp, and natutuwa naman kami dahil lahat ng activities ay naging successful,” she said. “Tapos ‘yung overnight, may natutunan ang mga kids pero mayroon rin kaming natutunan like ‘yung how to put up a tent, and how to cook.”

Lalo na ‘yung bonfire experience na on the stop, we had our volunteers and kids put a presentation so within thirty minutes of preparation, they were able to make one,” she added. “Natutuwa kami dahil maraming natutunan ang mga kids, since we are an advocate for this, our group, U!Happy Events, it’s a good experience. Maybe we can do it again.”

C.O.R.E. Movers

For the C.O.R.E. Movers, the event was fulfilling and truly worth their weekend.

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“Being a volunteer for This Side Out is a very fun experience because we got the chance to spend time with kids and we have learned the appreciation of this ministries where they invite marginalized kids and also street dwellers and they teach them the value of education and value of discipline,” said HRBP Guia Marie Santos.

For HRD’s Neulfred Paul Torres, “It was a very memorable event for me, I was able to spend much time with the kids, I got to know them better, I got to appreciate how they really changed from their street-driven lives, and now, I see so much hope from them.”

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For ICT’s Carol Cauilan, “Ang experience ko dito sa youth camp na care of Primer, is the best. ‘Yung mga kids nung kinakausap namin sila, from kahapon until now,sobrang saya nila, at first talaga nila ang paggagawa ng camp, at pagtulog sacamping, kaya sobrang the best.”

Written by: Mandy Fernandez Edited by: Nirvana Time Estiva Layout (online, internal release): Ela Arciaga Photos from: Corporate Communications